<div align="justify">BJP president Amit Shah has set an ambitious target of winning all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar during 2019 parliamentary elections. This was indicated when Shah held parleys with top Bihar BJP leaders and told them that party would get lion’s share when it comes to seat-sharing with its incumbent and new allies.<br /><br />Though the seat-sharing formula has not been formalised yet, those who are in the know of things indicated that the BJP may contest 25 out of 40 LS seats in Bihar. “Of the remaining 15 seats, Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) may get nine seats, LJP four and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) two seats. The other ally Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) will have the option of merging his outfit with the BJP,” the senior BJP leader said.<br /><br />The plan, when implemented, will see Nitish’s wings being clipped in the State where he has been at the helm for the last 12 years. In 2014 LS election, the BJP had won 22 seats, LJP six, RLSP three, thereby NDA winning 31 out of 40 seats. The JD (U), which contested alone, could scrape through in only two seats.<br /><br />“Nitish should realise that this is not the BJP of Vajpayee and Advani era where he often extracted his pound of flesh. Under the present leadership of Modi and Shah, Nitish will get what is due to him,” said a BJP MP, who served as Union Minister in previous NDA regime.<br /><br />Political observers feel this will be yet another attempt by the BJP to show Nitish his place. In recent embarrassment, Prime Minister Modi had reportedly cancelled a lunch at the CM’s residence during his Bihar visit and left for New Delhi directly from Purnia. Secondly, Modi doled out Rs 500 crore only for the flood-hit people in 2017 while Manmohan Singh had granted more than 1000 crore for the Kosi flood victims in 2008.<br /><br />Thirdly, no JD (U) member was inducted into Modi Cabinet despite brouhaha over the new ally joining the BJP-led Government at the Centre. Fourthly, Nitish, despite widely reported in a section of media, was not made the convenor of the NDA, a post earlier held by former JD (U) presidents George Fernandes and Sharad Yadav.<br /><br />“In 2000 and 2005, Nitish became CM despite the BJP winning more seats than the JD (U). Nitish will soon realise that the era of hard bargaining is over. Our party leadership has made it clear that the BJP has to expand and strengthen its base up to booth level,” the BJP leader, who earlier was in the JD (U), told Deccan Herald.</div>
<div align="justify">BJP president Amit Shah has set an ambitious target of winning all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar during 2019 parliamentary elections. This was indicated when Shah held parleys with top Bihar BJP leaders and told them that party would get lion’s share when it comes to seat-sharing with its incumbent and new allies.<br /><br />Though the seat-sharing formula has not been formalised yet, those who are in the know of things indicated that the BJP may contest 25 out of 40 LS seats in Bihar. “Of the remaining 15 seats, Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) may get nine seats, LJP four and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) two seats. The other ally Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) will have the option of merging his outfit with the BJP,” the senior BJP leader said.<br /><br />The plan, when implemented, will see Nitish’s wings being clipped in the State where he has been at the helm for the last 12 years. In 2014 LS election, the BJP had won 22 seats, LJP six, RLSP three, thereby NDA winning 31 out of 40 seats. The JD (U), which contested alone, could scrape through in only two seats.<br /><br />“Nitish should realise that this is not the BJP of Vajpayee and Advani era where he often extracted his pound of flesh. Under the present leadership of Modi and Shah, Nitish will get what is due to him,” said a BJP MP, who served as Union Minister in previous NDA regime.<br /><br />Political observers feel this will be yet another attempt by the BJP to show Nitish his place. In recent embarrassment, Prime Minister Modi had reportedly cancelled a lunch at the CM’s residence during his Bihar visit and left for New Delhi directly from Purnia. Secondly, Modi doled out Rs 500 crore only for the flood-hit people in 2017 while Manmohan Singh had granted more than 1000 crore for the Kosi flood victims in 2008.<br /><br />Thirdly, no JD (U) member was inducted into Modi Cabinet despite brouhaha over the new ally joining the BJP-led Government at the Centre. Fourthly, Nitish, despite widely reported in a section of media, was not made the convenor of the NDA, a post earlier held by former JD (U) presidents George Fernandes and Sharad Yadav.<br /><br />“In 2000 and 2005, Nitish became CM despite the BJP winning more seats than the JD (U). Nitish will soon realise that the era of hard bargaining is over. Our party leadership has made it clear that the BJP has to expand and strengthen its base up to booth level,” the BJP leader, who earlier was in the JD (U), told Deccan Herald.</div>
